How does the Orthodox Church deal with controversial issues?
Throughout its history, the Orthodox Church has dealt with controversial issues by a process which addresses the "mind of the Church."
What is Prince Charles’ relationship with the Orthodox Church?
Despite constant denials by people around him about his relationship with Orthodoxy, it seems that the prince has largely embraced the Orthodox Church’s spiritual values. Prince Charles’ father, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born in Greece (his family was later exiled from the country).
What does the Orthodox Church teach about taking care of yourself?
The Orthodox Church teaches that we are obligated to care for our health, so these kinds of practices in fact are looked upon as immoral. However, they do not carry the same negative implications which the direct taking of one's own life has.
What is the Orthodox Church today?
The Orthodox Church readily recognizes that in this day and age no single nation comes close to a realization of its ideal model. The Church finds itself, however, living under many different political systems and environments. Its chief patriarchate, that of Constantinople, is under persecution in a Moslem-dominated country, Turkey.
What are 3 strategies you can use to cope with depression?
How to cope with depressionStay in touch. Don't withdraw from life. ... Be more active. Take up some form of exercise. ... Face your fears. Don't avoid the things you find difficult. ... Don't drink too much alcohol. For some people, alcohol can become a problem. ... Try to eat a healthy diet. ... Have a routine.
What are your coping strategies to overcome the sense of depression?
If you want to ease your depression symptoms, don't skip meals, take b vitamins, eat omega 3 fatty acids, eat less sugar and carbs, and limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Foods high in carbs, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can cause inflammation in the body, which affects our ability to maintain mood stability.
Can Greek Orthodox be cremated?
"The cremation of foreigners or Greeks, whose religious convictions allow the cremation after death, is allowed," the new law said. According to the law, Orthodox Greeks can choose cremation as long as they have stated this in writing before their death or their immediate relatives wish it.
What should I do during a depression?
How to reach out for depression supportLook for support from people who make you feel safe and cared for. ... Make face-time a priority. ... Try to keep up with social activities even if you don't feel like it. ... Find ways to support others. ... Care for a pet. ... Join a support group for depression. ... Aim for eight hours of sleep.More items...
What are the 5 types of coping strategies?
There are many different conceptualizations of coping strategies, but the five general types of coping strategies are problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, social support, religious coping, and meaning making.
Why do Orthodox eat fish after funeral?
A makaria is a tradition similar to a repast after a funeral; the family usually serves fish since this is a symbol of Christ, and there are no desserts or extravagances, though this is a time for religious celebrations.
What do the Greek Orthodox believe in suicide?
Suicide is regarded generally within the Eastern Orthodoxy tradition as a rejection of God's gift of physical life, a failure of stewardship, an act of despair, and a transgression of the sixth commandment, "You shall not kill" (Exodus 20:13).
What do Greek Orthodox do when someone dies?
The services usually include a wake and funeral mass in a church. Like many conservative Christian religions, cremation is not allowed. The Greek Orthodox Church believes in the resurrection of the body and views cremation as a sin. The family members recite readings and they may also serve as pallbearers.
Who are the Church Fathers?
The Church Fathers, in particular Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Augustine of Hippo, are often juxtaposed by western commentators as having diametrically opposing thoughts on the subject of premature death which is incorrect.
What is the role of a parish priest?
The parish priest’s care is also for the surviving family members who have to learn to go on without their loved one, and not to lose hope in God’s eternal promises. According to Archbishop Theodosius of Washington (1998) the “act of suicide is a profound tragedy affecting a parish. It necessitates prayers for forgiveness for the sake ...
How long does depression last?
Clinical depression is marked by an ongoing depressed mood most of the day, disallowing the sufferer from engaging in normal activities and relationships for a contiguous period of time, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a lifetime.
What is the medical term for depression?
Clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder (MDD) is a form of mental illness (Hall-Flavin, May 13, 2017). It is more than just occasionally feeling down and having the “blues”, or suffering immense sadness, for example, at the death of a close relative.
What are some examples of depression?
Examples of depression subtypes include major depression, chronic depression (dysthymia), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and bipolar disorder (manic depression) (WebMD, 2017). One of the major difficulties for clergy of the Orthodox Church in determining how a suicide of a depressed person should be considered, ...
Can a priest take his life suddenly?
Additionally, men who perceive themselves as self-reliant and reject seeking medical help from a general practitioner for their suicidality may also take their life suddenly.
What does Mount Athos represent for Prince Charles?
For Prince Charles, Mount Athos represents a love for history, ...
Where will Prince Charles visit in the future?
It is likely that in the future Prince Charles will once more under the veil of secrecy pay a visit to Mount Athos, where royal titles are left at the door, and partake in the way of life of the monks, surrounded by the vast, rugged natural beauty and the serenity of spiritual living.
Did the priests of Vatopedi Monastery reveal the identity of the visitor?
On the jetty, the priests of Vatopedi Monastery stood waiting; they had been instructed not to reveal the identity of the visitor, and not to hold an official ceremony during the reception, as this was meant to be a highly private visit. It was the third time in a year that the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, ...
Who was Prince Charles' grandmother?
Prince Charles’ grandmother, Princess Alice, was religiously involved in humanitarian work and, after World War II, founded an Orthodox order of nuns known as the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary, in Tinos and in the Athenian neighborhood of Neo Iraklio. She was a deeply religious person with unshakable faith in Orthodoxy.
Does Prince Charles paint?
Prince Charles is also an avid painter, and he has included Greece’s natural elements as seen from Mount Athos in several of his paintings. Despite constant denials by people around him about his relationship with Orthodoxy, it seems that the prince has largely embraced the Orthodox Church’s spiritual values.
How has the Orthodox Church dealt with controversial issues?
Throughout its history, the Orthodox Church has dealt with controversial issues by a process which addresses the "mind of the Church." When an issue arises for which there is no clear-cut, widely and readily acknowledged tradition, and about which there is honest divergence of opinion as to what view genuinely expresses the teaching of the Church, a process begins which may eventually lead to the formulation of an official Church teaching. A classical example from the early period of the Church is the formulation of the Church doctrines about the person of Jesus Christ, which began with the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325) and concluded with the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787).
Who criticized the false teachings of heresiarchs?
Thus, the great Fathers of the Church, such as Athanasios, Basil, the Gregorys and Chrysostom, not only criticized the false teachings of heresiarchs such as Arius, but proposed formulations of the truth as well.
What is the representative Orthodox statement?
A representative Orthodox statement which shows the centrality and importance of the family in Orthodox thinking is found in an encyclical letter by former Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, issued on the occasion of National Family Week in 1972. He stated:
What is the Orthodox Church's sacrament of marriage?
Orthodox Christians who marry must marry in the Church in order to be in sacramental communion with the Church.
What is the most characteristic aspect of Orthodox Christianity?
Worship. The most characteristic aspect of Orthodox Christianity is its worship . Though rich in tradition of doctrine, morality, canon law, social concern, personal faith, and monasticism, to name only a few of its objects, the core of Orthodox Christian life is to be found in its worship .
What is the Orthodox Church's position on synergy?
As a general principle, the Orthodox Church has held a position on the ideal of Church and State relations which may be called "the principle of synergy.". It is to be distinguished from a sharp division of Church and State on the one hand, and a total fusion of Church and State, on the other hand.
What is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church, throughout its history, has both used and encouraged the arts, culture and education, and has addressed the whole range of social and public phenomena. Among these have been its relationship with government in general, and the exercise of civil power in concrete circumstances, i.e., politics.
What is Orthodox belief?
Orthodoxy is belief or adherence to traditional or affirmed creeds, notably in religion. In the Christian sense, the term means, ...
What is the wisdom of the Fathers of the Church?
The wisdom of the Fathers of the Church is fundamental to the Orthodox way of life as today's successors of the "true faith and Church" passed on in its most authentic form. By maintaining the virtue of the received teachings of the apostles, followers are more conscious of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit being present both in history and in ...
What is the Homoousian doctrine?
The Homoousian doctrine, which characterized Jesus as both God and man with the canons of the 431 Council of Ephesus, won out in the Church and was referred to as orthodoxy in most Christian purposes since this was the understanding of early Christian Church Fathers and was confirmed at the ecumenical councils.
What is the most important holiday in the Orthodox Church?
Easter is the most meaningful and holy season of the Orthodox Church calendar. Orthodox Easter primarily commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ with a series of celebrations or movable feasts.
What happened to Constantinople after the 1054 Great Schism?
Following the 1054 Great Schism, both the Western Church and Eastern Church continued to consider themselves uniquely orthodox and catholic.
What is the meaning of Lazarus Saturday?
Lazarus Saturday occurs eight days before Easter Sunday and signifies the end of Great Lent. Next comes Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, commemorating the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, followed by Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday, or Pascha. Fasting continues throughout Holy Week.
What is the meaning of the word "orthodox"?
In historic Christian use, the word orthodox relates to the collection of doctrines which were accepted by the early Christians. Several ecumenical councils were gathered over a period of several centuries in an attempt to establish these doctrines.
Raising Awareness of Suicide and Its Effects in The Orthodox Church and Beyond
- While the Eastern Orthodox Church plainly acknowledges that suicide is among the gravest sins against God, it also leaves the ultimate judgement to God who is all-knowing and intimately discerns human hearts in their fullness. It is clear that a severely mentally ill person is not morally culpable for their actions when they commit suicide (H. T. E...
The Orthodox Church’s Canonical Response to Suicide
- The Orthodox Church has held fast to its canonical position that suicide is unacceptable under any circumstance, indeed even for sufferers of mental illness. This position has never been negotiable and has remained unchanged since the formation of the Church. Holy Scripture records nine unambiguous suicides (Meredith, 1980, p. 143f; Murray, 2000). We have the exampl…
Ways Forward: An Integrated Canonical and Pastoral Response to Suicide
- It is true that in some cases like in parts of rural Orthodox Russia, those who suicided were not buried in cemeteries as recently as the 1880s. According to Paperno (1997, p. 55), the custom was to bury suicides by a road, at a crossroads, at the edge of a field or in the woods, swamp, or ravine. But those who were considered as “insane suicides” committing the act “in a state of deli…
Conclusion
- As we move away from the classical point of view to be found in literature during the time of antiquity that says someone who has taken their own life might have done so in a rational manner, towards the point of view that denotes that a person who would self-life take is either insane or near the point of insanity, we are faced with the need to develop the way in which we as individu…
References
- AFSP. (2015). Suicide Statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Retrieved from https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/ Breck, J. (1995). Euthanasia and the Quality of Life Debate. Christian Bioethics, 1(3), 322-337. Breck, J. (1998). The Sacred Gift of Life: Orthodox Christianity and Bioethics. Crestwood: New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. Breck, J. (2003)…